Strength of Memory
by Deer Flower
Summary: As Tooth adjusts to collecting teeth after the Guardian's battle with Pitch Black long ago, some memories react in ways she and her fairies never imagined. How are these new tooth fairies created and what sets them apart from the others? A partial story and study of Tooth's helpers, and possible reason for some of Baby Tooth's differences.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, curious reader.

This is an idea that suddenly popped into my head a few days ago and wouldn't leave me until it felt satisfied. Hopefully, I gave my idea justice.

As a bit of background, I really love "Rise of the Guardians" (easily within my top 10 movies) and always pick up something new each time I watch it. I've also read the books series up until 4, but I'll be rereading everything since I've finally got book 5! While the books and movie don't completely match, I like taking elements from both and figuring out how to blend them together.

In the books, Tooth is a fierce warrior with a great heart for children and has the ability to create mini-versions of herself (can't remember other specifics at the moment). While I find that awesome, I also wondered if that could be sustaining. After all, she's gotta reach a limit at some point, right? So that's where I got the idea that the memories themselves along with magic could play a role in creating tooth fairies as well.

This also ties into some of my ideas and general theories about Baby Tooth, which actually was the basis for this idea. I'm currently working on that part but in the meantime, here's what I have so far. Enjoy!

Note: Tooth's full name is Toothiana and she is the child of a human and Sister of Flight. Her book introduction is "Toothiana: Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies," so I like to alternate a bit with her titles to keep from being too repetitive.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" or "The Guardians of Childhood." Those rights belong to DreamWorks and William Joyce, respectively.

* * *

As the world settled itself following the battles between the Guardians and their allies against Pitch Black, Toothiana wasted no time in continuing her duty in collecting the children's teeth. Her army of tooth fairies, though slightly worn from battle, followed her que and resumed their important mission.

However, they were still weary of Nightmares suddenly appearing so they took several precautions when they went out into the field. No fairy went on their own, including Tooth herself, and always traveled in 3's. Contact with Tooth and other groups were continually maintained until the child's tooth was safely extracted from the child's pillow and placed in their memory vaults.

Tooth created many new tiny versions of herself to accommodate the new protocols, each as strong and capable as those created before them. Children who awakened during the night often gazed in wonder at the many, tiny bird-like creatures zipping around their room. This also made the fairies' jobs much easier, as one fairy had the natural ability to sooth a child back to sleep. With 3, the child would doze back so quickly they would awaken in the morning wondering if they even dreamed of the small birds visiting them.

A quick glance under their pillow and the gleam of a shiny gift reaffirmed them quickly, though.

After a while, the worry of Nightmares returning lessened until each fairy felt safe traveling out on their own again. It soon became common to only catch a glimpse of one fairy instead of several, but the children still believed in the Tooth Fairy.

Stories passed of the kind fairy leaving gifts for children in exchange for their teeth, and more children were born and grew to believe in those tales. Tooth and her fairies remained delighted at the new memories they collected and children they visited. As the children grew, they could always count on them to remind them of childhood memories whenever they needed it the most.

One day, though, as Tooth was personally placing the last baby tooth of a child in its container, something strange happened. The tube in her hands let out a soft glow, startling the fierce Queen.

"What is this?" she asked, lifting the object to eye level so her eyes met those of the child's painted on the side.

Suddenly, the child's face dazzled so brightly that Tooth and the surrounding fairies had to turn their heads away. The moment everything dimmed and they looked once again, none of them could hold back a small gasp of surprise.

A tiny orb of green light swirled in front of them over the tube in Tooth's hand, which was still letting off its own glow but much more subdued. One of the fairies chirped, " _What is going on?_ "

"I am not sure," Tooth answered, her gaze lowering to the opening.

The tiny orb quietly pulsed, a tiny light shining much more brightly on a certain spot of the surface. A spot which she began realizing contained one of the child's teeth.

When nothing else began happening, Tooth took in a deep breath and waved her hand over the tube. The contraption opened and they could all see every tooth glowing. It took several seconds for one tooth to catch their attention, simply because it was shining different from the others. The odd one out glowed the same as the orb, which still pulsed over the now exposed tooth.

While the tooth fairies remained memorized by the light, a strange sensation that Tooth could only describe as a pull took her over. Her eyes glowed as they remained fixated between the tooth and orb. Slowly, she placed her finger over the orb and gently pushed it towards the tooth.

The fairies barely had time to let out loud chirps of ' _What are you doing?_ ' before something completely strange happened. In one breath, the orb disappeared into the tooth and the tube and other teeth stopped glowing immediately.

In the next, the spot where Tooth's finger remained touching shone once more and a darker green orb shot up until it reached her eye level. In several more breaths, the orb morphed into a vague shape of two circles stacked on top of each other. Some of the light stretched from behind it in two directions, fading until the fill was nearly transparent. In front, a sliver of light reached forward and solidified in what Tooth could only describe as a humming bird's beak.

At the same time, the light moved and settled into what looked like feathers matching Tooth's and her army's. The lower circle's bottom half split in two as well. One part broke further until two tiny legs formed. The other part elongated into a tail that ended just over the being's newly created feet.

This strange transformation continued for several moments, the former orb now resembling a bird like creature with tiny wings, two legs, and a pair of arms growing quickly after. The top circle became covered in feathers, which curiously halted until a clear, pale area arching above the beak remained. A small line appeared below the beak, which also remained clear, the same moment two similar lines appeared within the arches

Finally, however, the feathers adopted the colors and patterns of Toothiana like her mini-selves until it could have passed for any of its fellow sisters. Sluggishly, the two lines above the beak each separated themselves and Tooth found herself gazing into a pair of vibrant eyes that popped out more as a purplish-pink color circled around them. The line below the beak also loosened, a small chirp escaping from the being's now formed mouth. On its head, a green feather bloomed out.

" _Greetings, my Queen_ ," it called in a quiet voice.

Around it, the other fairies began chirping out as well. Questions such as ' _What happened_?', ' _What is this?_ ', ' _How is this possible?_ ', ' _What does this mean?_ ' filled the air.

The only one to remain silent was Toothiana, who carefully lifted her empty hand up until the creature calmly kneeled in her palm. The pair stared at each other for what seemed like a long time, one in curiosity and one in excitement.

Finally, voice cutting through everyone else's and silencing them, Tooth began, "Greetings, little tooth being. Can you explain what you are and why this happened?"

" _Certainly, my Queen."_ She gave the large being a soft bow. " _I am a tooth fairy, quite literally in this instance. While my sisters are created from your magic, I form from a strong childhood memory contained within a child's tooth. Once all of a child's teeth are collected, some memories are so strong that the magic here can form them into new life. For instance, my child-"_

They pointed to the tube in Tooth's other hand, the child's face no longer glowing and staring back at her with a happy expression.

" _Was so happy to receive a special doll from her parents that she hardly let it out of her sight. Whenever company was around, she gleefully showed the doll to others and offered it whenever anyone appeared sad. The doll was well taken care of and helped her create such great memories."_

Tooth glanced at the other teeth and sure enough, she could make out images of a little girl cheerfully holding a doll. The pair were always together and the girl honestly believed her doll could cure anyone's sadness.

" _A few years ago, her father passed away and the family were thrown into grief. My child was very sad, but the doll reminded her of the happy times she spent with him and helped her cope without him. Even now, though my connection to her is now faint, I still sense her happiness on the day she and the doll met."_

"That is amazing." Around them, the other fairies chirped in absolute agreement. "A memory so powerful that the child never forgets. What about other types of memories? Such as sadness or fear?"

The little tooth fairy let out a tiny shrug, answering, " _I am not sure. I only know the memory must be strong to create another like me."_

"Then it's possible there could be more like you later," Tooth said with a smile. "You are the first, but I have a feeling more will follow. In the meantime, are you ready to help us collect the memories of other children and keep them safe?"

The fairy stood up and gave a salute, saying, " _Of course, my Queen. There is nothing I would rather do."_

Sure enough, as time went on, more fairies were created from those strong childhood memories. Tooth and the others were thankful most formed from very cheerful and bright circumstances. A wonderful holiday experience, the gift of something deemed precious, a spark from seeing something wonderful, becoming great friends with someone, and many more.

Of the fairies created from sad and miserable memories, however, Tooth and they never let that stop them from welcoming their new sister. Tears from a particularly bad sprain, nearly getting lost in a scary forest at night, worrying over a loved one, and saying goodbye to someone special were transformed to something that could help other children. The moments the now grown children would not want to remember still managed to help them find peace in their adult years.

Something they all learned, though, was those fairies' ability to provide more guidance for those going through similar memories to them. A young adult trying to recall a favorite item from their youth would have their memories reawakened by a fairy created from another child's joy at a well-received present and find they could recall a lot more than they realize. Someone feeling fearful of the future would be reminded by a being formed from a particularly nasty experience that things can still turn out alright.

Oddly, if their abilities weren't already, the tooth fairy didn't always provide a complete memory. Sometimes it was just a sensation that person's mind picked up on and uncovered the memory itself. Other times they would see the events of the fairy's creator's memories, but changed in a way that matched up with the afflicted person's.

There was one such incident where a young boy had recently lost part of his leg. The cause of his injury was a car accident, but his memory somehow added in the sensation of something biting down around it. That later idea came from the fairy's influence in that instance, and fortunately that boy also recovered.

Another curious thing is that the fairy couldn't always follow the memory all the way through. The fairies could sense when they were needed and enhance the memory, but they didn't always 'see' how it played out. They just knew what the person remembered what they needed to remember in that instance, and that was that.

It was quite strange how all of that worked. Strange, but effective.

Despite the gift these fairies possessed, no one at the Tooth Palace felt any resentment towards them. All of them had the grand mission of helping children, and each realized they could contribute in their own way.

During a long stretch of time, even as the number of children losing teeth increased, Tooth found she didn't need to split herself off. So many children's memories created many new helpers and the ones already present were enough to keep up with the increase.

However, having so many teeth needing to be collected resulted in Tooth going out into the field less often. Without any of them noticing, she ceased going out altogether and remained in the Palace directing swarms of them out to where they needed to go.

At some point, the creation of new tooth fairies from the memories became so common that little fanfare was given. Each was still given a proper welcome and reception, but there was hardly any time to take a break. Which suited the new fairies just fine since they were just as eager to help fellow sisters in collecting teeth.

This is why, when Tooth witnessed another tooth memory creation taking place, she didn't notice the tooth fairy's golden plume, mismatched eyes, or the small beauty mark under her right eye. What she did notice was the reason for her new helper's creation. The loss of her older brother from a skating accident.

A very traumatic experience for anyone, most especially for someone young. Tooth gave herself a few moments to think of the children, hoping they would find peace somehow.

"Welcome to the chaos, Baby Tooth," Toothiana greeted with a smile, subconsciously running her finger down the smaller fairy's head. The smaller being smiled back, immediately flying out of Tooth's hands, chirping, ' _Where do you need me?'_

Thus, the years went on. Toothiana and her fairies guarded the children's memories, her other Guardian friends remained steadfast in their tasks, and the allies she once fought and relaxed with went their own ways. Each one protecting and helping the world's children in their own way.

About 300 years after a girl's grief of losing her brother created a slightly abnormal tooth fairy, Toothiana felt Manny call her and the Guardians for an important mission. The news of the children being in danger once more called to mind the last time she and her friends had fought. It's been many years since, but the memory of their first time fighting as a group stirred up the warrior spirit in the Queen.

No matter what, she would fight Pitch Black once more and protect the children's memories. After all, memories can be quite powerful.

* * *

And that's the end! Like I said, I just couldn't see Tooth's replication in the books lasting very long given just how many fairies we saw in the movie.

I definitely focused her entire appearance on the movie version instead of in the books, mainly cause she has some features I wouldn't be able to describe well in a story like this. I also based this idea off Baby Tooth's appearance, so it was better for me to stick with movie for visuals and add book elements for world building.

With that, the next part I plan on working on is pretty much Baby Tooth's perspective from the moment she's created to some events in the movie. I feel weird letting uploading this before I completed both parts, but I figure some of y'all may have your own ideas or can point out where I should elaborate.

Also, I feel obvious reference is too obvious, but it popped into my head and matched with what I was trying to describe. If you spotted it right away, hello fellow fan! If not, I still like you for reading this fic!

Anywho, thanks for reading and feel free to leave comments, especially if there's any spelling/grammar errors!


	2. Chapter 2

So I was definitely not expecting my idea to turn out the way it is right now. I only expected a bit of overview about creating new fairies, explore Baby Tooth for a bit, and then call it over.

And then I just kept typing and typing until I ended up not where I wanted, but what felt like a good stopping place. My plan was to just get Baby Tooth's part wrapped up with this chapter and move on to some other ideas, but apparently that little fairy had other ideas. She just kept chirping all these cool ideas and I couldn't resist adding on.

I thought about waiting until I was done with the whole thing, but then I figured this thing could go on for a while and I would have ended up breaking up everything anyway. So, I guess you can consider this kind of a neat bonus!

This chapter covers the attack of the Tooth Palace and capture of the fairies and the teeth. Thinking back to the movie, Tooth mentions how the fairies tried to fight off the Night Mares and that image tagged along with warrior Tooth from the books to inspire to write this scene. It's definitely more action-y than last chapter, but I still hope y'all find it enjoyable.

Note: I tend to think the fairies don't really have names for themselves since they don't see a reason for it. Tooth does as a form of respect since she is their leader and 'mother.' Because of that, I mainly use the words 'she' and 'her' for Baby Tooth unless otherwise stated. Hopefully that's not as confusing as it sounds.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" or "The Guardians of Childhood." Those rights belong to DreamWorks and William Joyce, respectively.

* * *

The day of her creation, she immediately knew her purpose and was ready to perform her duty as a tooth fairy. Queen Toothiana needed the assistance of her and all her sisters, whether they were from Toothiana or memory creations such as herself, to protect the children of the world and help them find the right path.

She felt sad for her child, a sweet girl with the best older brother in the world until that tragic day at the pond. Feeling like the whole thing was her fault wracked the girl with guilt for several weeks, but she eventually found closure by the time her last baby tooth fell out. Her last thoughts were to never waste a single day on wards and to laugh, because that's what her brother would have wanted.

Someday, the girl hoped to see her brother once again and help save him as well.

Sometimes, the fairy would help others going through similar loss cope with their loved one's sudden absence. She wasn't strictly unique for being created under such circumstances, but she seemed to have a greater need to assist when needed.

Almost as if she needed to prepare herself.

Of course, that was a silly feeling. Any tooth fairy can help someone when it comes to memories, whether they were tooth creations or not. Helping children made all of them happy, so there was no reason one fairy had to do more than others.

It was approaching the 300th year since she began collecting and storing teeth, not that she kept that much track of the time. There was always something to do at the Palace or teeth to collect, and will continue to be for many years to come.

Coming back in from the field, she caught sight of Toothiana stop mid praising (children flossing is always a great reason to celebrate), stare at the Moon, and then fly off with a few of the others. The first time she's left the Palace in a long while.

"Guardian business. Be back soon. Oh! Mumbai, Bandung, Auckland, and Salvador!" Queen Toothiana relayed to some of her passing workers. Fairies were already heading out as she spoke, with others coming in with their small treasures.

The tooth fairies continued at their tasks as if it was any other day. It was a bit strange not having Toothiana hovering in the center of everything, but they managed as they always do. Children were always losing teeth and at least one side of the world was always preparing for their arrival.

The golden plumed creature was just about to fly out to her next assignment when something stopped her. It wasn't a change in orders or avoiding some type of crash, they were too organized for that to happen.

If she had to place the feeling, it would be fear that stops one dead in their tracks.

While many years have passed since the battle with the Nightmare King, none of the fairies' memories of that time had faded. Partially because their jobs dealt with memory, and mainly because Toothiana's memories of those events passed through her connections to all of them no matter their creations. This meant every one of them could remember how the fairies sent out to the field immediately after Pitch Black's defeat felt passing dark corners and being on guard in case of attack.

The need for vigilance had passed, but not the feeling that something could be watching them from the shadows.

Shaking her head, but hovering in the same area, she looked around the Palace. Her sisters' chirps and wing flaps filled the air with sound without being overwhelming. The structures still dazzled in the light, especially the spots containing the teeth. Even the numerous clouds floating around seemed to shine from the Sun's gentle rays.

" _But I know I felt something_ ," she chirped quietly to herself, the only stationary being in the whole place. " _I know I did!"_

One of her sisters caught notice of her, curious enough to break from her flight path and halt next to the mismatched eye fairy. Not that any of them took notice of that oddity. " _What is wrong? Are you alright?"_

Casting a few more glances, she answered, " _I don't know. I just thought I felt something… something that definitely shouldn't be here."_

The other placed a hand on her shoulder in understanding, chirping, " _Would you like me to explore with you? Some of the others can handle our tasks for a while."_

She nodded in thanks, both chirping out to the others what they were doing before taking off. They managed to fly around the whole Palace within minutes, and resumed flying through many more times while changing courses. In almost no time at all, every inch had been explored with not even a reflection out of place.

Returning back to their original position, her friendly sister chirped, " _Do you still feel like something is watching?"_

Looking around, the tooth fairy frowned, but relented, " _No, and now I feel silly. I'm sorry for wasting our time."_

" _Now, now, it's okay. Better safe than sorry, right?"_ The other fairy placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, eliciting a small smile from her. " _There we go."_ Retracting their arm, the other chirped, " _Head back to the field when you're feeling secure."_

The other's retreat was followed by a pair of different colored eyes before they blended in with the sea of others. Letting out a small sigh, she shook her head and flew back up to the main fray, following in line with everyone else with no effort.

While her body relaxed back into routine, her eyes remained vigilant for anything amiss. Flight patterns the same. The weather remained peaceful. Every cast shadow had a normal source. No one else seemed to be alarmed.

Just as she was about to chalk it up to her imagination, she caught a pair of glowing eyes jump out from the walls!

" _Intruders!"_ she chirped loudly, putting on a burst of speed to shoot above whatever charged at her. She felt something fine gently brush against her feet, only sending her into further panic.

Those nearest her also managed to get out of the thing's way, calling out warnings to everyone else as well.

" _Intruders!"_

" _Protect the teeth!"_

" _Attack formations!"_

The fairies flew into formation, those with teeth quickly putting them in their vaults while the others grouped up to take on the trespasser. One mysterious being against an army of fairies descended from a Sister of Flight would have been dealt with in no time.

What none of them anticipated, though, was for more of those beings to gallop out of the walls with a loud cry. Out in the open, the shadows revealed themselves as horses. Large, admittedly elegant creatures with hides and manes crafted from shadows. Even the light was only able to bounce off parts of the wild mares, causing their appearances to shift between pure night and a dark shine.

" _What are these things?"_ the golden feathered fairy chirped out to no one in particular, grabbing one of her sisters before she could run straight into a passing one. With a nod of thanks, they joined with another group and flew towards a mare retreating in front of them.

In the open air, a large group of fairies charged at a horse as it halted itself in order to turn around. The beast felt them slam into its side, losing focus and begin falling from the air. It panicked for several seconds before managing to right itself back onto its hooves.

When it looked back up, the group had already flown off to help others.

Word had long been sent to Queen Tooth about what was happening at the Tooth Palace, they were just doing their best to hold the enemy off until she and the other Guardians could arrive. Until then, every fairy did their part in defending their home.

While groups of fairies made direct attacks against the mares, others did their best to protect those still placing teeth inside their proper canisters. Once the child's tooth was safely placed, the fairy immediately joined the others in either attacking or guarding.

Within minutes, every tooth was safely locked away and the fairies readied themselves for a united attack. The tooth fairy was ready to join her sisters in another barrage when her blue/purple eyes caught sight of a larger issue.

" _They're heading for the teeth!"_

Everyone looked and sure enough, some of the mares had ceased attacking the bird-like creatures and galloped straight towards the teeth vaults. Closer groups moved forward to intercept them, but were chased away by other members of the herd barreling around them.

The mares were meters from the vaults, the fairies began to feel a spark of hope that the monsters wouldn't be able to slow down in time and knock themselves unconscious when they inevitably hit the walls. Surely that would stop them.

What did end up happening was enough shock all of them. Before their eyes, just as the mares nostrils was centimeters from colliding, the things suddenly lost form and left behind a wave of what they could only describe as sand. The dark, fine material blanketed over entire wall and then seeped through the surface. Not a single grain showing.

Despite the remaining mares circling around, a few chirped out loud, " _Are they gone?" "Did the Palace's magic cause them to disappear?"_

Just when an inkling of victory began spreading throughout the army, the sand burst from the walls and reformed back into the shadowy mares. To their horror, glittering brightly in the cavern of their bodies, were the teeth canisters.

At once, a greater cry of alarm rang out in and around the Tooth Palace, the fairies faced with the new tasks of defeating the night mares and reclaiming their precious treasures.

A group of five flew straight at one of the charging mares, aligned in an arrow like formation pointed straight towards the thing's chest. They were so focused on the monster in front, that they didn't another approach from the side, its mouth wide open.

One moment the fairies were close to a possible victory, the light of their home and bright colors of their sisters almost a blue. The next, their vision darkened and the next light they registered was tinted in black. Fluttering together, they looked out and saw they were entombed inside a rib cage of a racing mare.

" _No!"_ Those who didn't witness the events cast a quick glance over, and tweeted in fear at the sight of their sisters trapped inside.

Everything seemed to freeze, all of them trying to register how the situation could have turned so much worse. Unfortunately, the cause of all this chaos did not freeze at all. If anything, they seemed strengthen by the events.

All of a sudden, the night mares became more vicious and split off into two herds. One snatching all the teeth canisters they could carry, the other snatching whatever fairies were not quick enough to escape.

Chaos and fear descended over the fairies as they began fleeing from the gaping jaws of those shadows brought to life. The mares adopted seamlessly flight paths as they raced across the air in pursuit of their prey.

Most groups found themselves losing many members at once, with a few attempting rescue missions. However, more creatures seemed to be coming at the shadows and it wasn't long until they were all overwhelmed.

Where once countless fairies filled the skies, only few remained, scattered among the forms of dark creatures with no mercy.

The baby tooth fairy, still maneuvering with her sisters, expertly dodged the snapping mouth of a pursuing enemy. They led the thing in circles, loops, drops, and near misses for miles, but the thing still managed to remain close at their tails.

A small miscalculation caused them to lose precious speed and allow their pursuer to reach them. In one gulp, half her group were now prisoners, flapping in panic once they realized what happened. One by one, the remaining fairies were taken out until only one was left.

A memory created fairy with mismatched eyes, golden plume, and small beauty mark below her eye.

" _This is it,"_ she gasped, feeling herself begin to tire. " _No one will be left to guard the teeth, to remind the children."_

Fear slowly crept over her. In moments she knew she would be captured as well, and there was nothing she or any of them could do afterwards. Queen Tooth would fight whatever these things were, unleash the warrior hidden under the cloak of her gentle and kind personality. However, it would be too late for her.

Feeling the mare's breath right on her back, she could only stare out in front of her, eyes searching for someone to help her once again.

 _Jack, I'm scared,_ a quiet voice called out, nearly drowned out by her panic.

Suddenly, she felt something cold surround her as the light vanished, shocking her already charged nerves and causing her to shiver. However, a strange feeling overtook her small being, chasing the fear away.

She sensed herself being pulled down quickly but gently, as if the thing holding her was doing its best to avoid hurting her. Each moment lessened her panic and even the cold surrounding her didn't feel dangerous.

However, she was still a being used to warm weather so she couldn't stop her body from curling up and shivering in an effort to heat itself back up.

That's what she looked like as the light returned above her and a kind face stared down at her. She gazed up at the pair of blazing blue eyes, clear and cold as a winter sky, attached to a snow pale boy with pure white hair. It could have been her imagination, but she was sure there were even bits of ice forming across parts of his skin.

"Hey little Baby Tooth," he greeted with a dazzling smile, and it was then she knew she would be safe. "You okay?"

Still shivering but feeling much better since this whole thing started, she smiled as well and nodded. She couldn't exactly place her little finger on it, but she knew this was Jack Frost, the mischievous and kind Winter spirit with teeth that sparkled like freshly fallen snow.

He lifted her up towards his hood, which she could already tell would be much warmer than his hands, and she quickly wrapped herself inside the material. A small part of her felt guilty for not getting back up to join the fight, but another part could feel exhaustion taking over her body.

" _A quick rest,"_ she chirped to herself, letting her eyes close.

 _Jack is here, I'll be alright,_ were her last thoughts as she drifted off, too tired to notice if it was hers or one from a memory a long, long time ago.

* * *

Whelp, thank you for making it this far! Like I said, this wasn't my original plan when I starting with the idea, but I found it to be a fun detour and a chance to help me write out fight scenes. It also gave me a hilarious image of the Dragon riders of Berk coming across the tooth fairies and being very confused about these strange flying creatures.

Not much with the lore I mentioned last chapter safe for a few bits here and there, though I do plan on changing that soon. I don't really like to just repeat movie and show scenes, so I may end up going more towards providing filler and then Baby Tooth's point of view for major scenes.

Anywho, hope to see y'all next chapter! Also, the place names Tooth mentions in the beginning are just random. I literally went to a random city name generator and picked some names that seemed interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

Funny thing happened as I started typing out the rest of this story, it kept giving me ideas! I imagined I would have had this whole thing completed within a few days but nope. It decided to go on for a week and I've finally concluded the whole thing in 30 pages! Definitely not the length I pictured or the exact direction I planned on going.

Baby Tooth felt her input was needed to provide more details to the story, and who am I to argue with a tooth fairy? Good news is that this story is now completed, with a few edits planned to make sure everything flows. I'll upload the next part later today and repeat over the next few days until it's all done.

Thanks to everyone who read the previous chapters and favorited/followed. Special mention to shishi-yow, whose review gave me the confidence I needed to know this could be fun idea. Hope the rest of the story will meet your expectations.

Note: I did end up going through more movie scenes than I wanted, but I did try to give them a different perspective. There are scenes and lines I skipped either to avoid repetition or from laziness.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" or "The Guardians of Childhood." Those rights belong to DreamWorks and William Joyce, respectively.

* * *

Her moments of rest were abruptly cut off as she felt herself being flung under the hood. Through the fabric, she heard voices call out for Tooth and immediately shook the rest of her tiredness off.

Dashing out, she looked forward and smiled at the sight of her leader. She cast a smile to Jack and raced straight towards Tooth, chirping, " _Queen Tooth! You're okay!"_

"Oh!" Tooth gasped, cupping out her hands for Baby Tooth (she quite liked that name, so she'll keep it) to land in. _"We were worried, but we didn't give up!"_

A soft smile was exchanged between the two, Tooth gently wrapping her fingers around the smaller fairy's body. "Thank goodness! One of you is alright!"

Baby Tooth didn't have a chance to respond when a voice called out to them, echoing dissonantly around them. Everyone immediately tensed up and began scouting around, the pair separating to do the same.

A chill went down Baby Tooth's spine as the presence continued talking, giving her a similar sensation as the dark creatures that attacked them. Only this time the aura felt stronger and much more sinister.

The sudden sounds of shadows swirling above them focused their attention up, meeting the piercing, golden gaze of an ethereal man. He continued speaking towards Tooth and the other Guardians, but Baby Tooth found herself trying to regain control of her emotions.

There was no mistaking the sinister specter for anything other than Pitch Black. The Nightmare King defeated years before her own creation who relished in filling children's hearts with fear as his Nightmare army attacked anything that stood in his way. Even if she did not share Tooth and the others' memories about him, anyone could realize who he was by the dread creeping through their body.

"Pitch!" Tooth cried out, rocketing up. "You have got 30 seconds to return my fairies-"

He disappeared around the corner. "Or what?" he asked, rematerializing on another column away. "You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?"

Baby Tooth did her best to appear tough as she hovered in between the other three, but it was difficult to do so when Pitch kept disappearing and popping up from various shadows. It felt like they were all standing on thin ice, cracks spreading out from their weight and rousing the shadows underneath their feet. Fear took hold, needing just a bit of time to fully immobilize its victim.

"Hang on, is that… Jack Frost?"

Whatever image had begun creeping in Baby Tooth's mind, it suddenly vanished as she looked down to the Winter spirit. A strange sensation tugged at the back of her subconscious, trying to tell her something. But Pitch posed a danger to Jack in the present, so she pushed the thought away until later.

Now, she had to remain vigilant in case the Boogey Man decided to attack. Fear could not be allowed to take over. She had to make sure he didn't fall through the cracks. _Not this time._

Everyone remained on edge, prepared to strike Pitch if he made any motion to attack as he lightly 'chatted' with Jack.

"Then I'm going to ignore you. But, you must be used to that by now." No one missed the way Jack visibly flinched at those words.

For a moment, Baby Tooth let anger crowd her vision and the adrenalin from fighting the creatures earlier retuned. No one had a right to talk to her new friend like that! _You're so funny, Jack! I don't know why anyone would ignore you!_

"Pitch!" Bunny called out, flinging himself off the column to chase after him. Baby Tooth flew right behind him, sensing Tooth follow her as well. "You shadow sneaking rat-bag! Come here!"

" _We won't let you get away with this!"_ Baby Tooth chirped with him, even though no one but Tooth could probably understand her anyway.

To their disappointment, he vanished into the shadows once again. However, Tooth must have sensed him because she grabbed one of Bunny's boomerangs and shot up, letting out a warrior cry.

Baby Tooth barely had time to halt and turn around, looking up in time to see the terror from earlier rise out from the platform. She saw Tooth fall back in shock, not quite believing what she was seeing. " _No!"_ she chirped in fright, fleeing from the sight of the monster that stole all the teeth and captured all of her sisters.

Not caring about appearing brave anymore, Baby Tooth flew back to Jack and hid within his hood. She knew she shouldn't flee, that she should stand with her Queen and fight. But fear once again took over.

She was just one little fairy, still recovering from the ordeal from earlier. Even with the other's voices filling the Palace with sound, the lack of thousands of cheeps and wing rustles made everything seem so empty. Never would Baby Tooth have expected for her home to be this quiet, and it was unsettling.

As if the situation couldn't get any worse, something inside her began shifting. Doing her best to remain calm, she took several breaths and tried to assess what could be happening. She focused on the strange feeling and latched onto it, feeling as if she was grabbing several strands of fine thread.

Following along, she realized it was her magic connecting her and the Tooth Palace together. Unknown to most outsiders, the home of Toothiana and the tooth fairies had been built on top of a strong magic reservoir with many streams spreading so far and wide that one could not escape its grasp.

When the Sisters of Flight founded Punjam Hy Loo and called upon the flying elephants as guards, the natural magic could sense the groups' ties with memories. Over time the magic shifted and changed until any child that wandered around a single stream, which all did since it spread out so wide, became tied to it through their baby teeth. Anyone from Punjam Hy Loo could call upon that magic to lead them towards a child's fallen tooth and send them a needed memory along those same paths.

Everyone and everything were so entwined with this magic after so many years that even the columns, walls, and ceilings were tied to teeth and memories. When Queen Toothiana took the Guardian oath, that magic then became dependent on the children's belief in the Tooth Fairy.

Now though, all the fairies were captured save 2 and the teeth were in the hands of someone who could not harness the magic needed to unlock those memories. With the magic acting as a sort of eye to the world, Baby Tooth could only watch as children's excited expressions quickly turned to confusion and settle on heartache when they realized their teeth were still there.

No one had come and traded those white pearls for shiny pieces of gold or silver.

Baby Tooth felt sorrow at witnessing the children's crushed expressions, a sentiment she could sense from the other fairies through their magic connections. However, she could slowly feel those connections growing weaker and weaker as the children began believing the Tooth Fairy did not exist.

At the same time the magic streams also began waning in strength. No longer was the Palace humming with the memory magic of millions of teeth safely stored in its vaults. A shake rumbled through Punjam Hy Loo, lessened only by the residual magic casting away the outer coating of the columns and reinforcing the structures' supports. The coating crumbled into fine dust that disintegrated further until the grains were mere specks in the residual breeze.

Within minutes structures countless years old lost the magic that kept them strong for just as long. Given enough time, nothing would be left and there would be no memories to provide guidance and comfort.

 _Hahaha._

Still in her mind, Baby Tooth tried to place the sudden laughter echoing faintly around her. The connection threads were thinning, but there was one that still remained strong in her grasp. She shifted her focus there and readied to follow it along for a bit.

Strangely, as if the situation already wasn't, the thread gently wrapped itself around her wrist and sunk under her feathers. The seemingly endless strand eventually led to a small orb of dim light, giving off a quiet laughter that matched the one she heard moments before.

Holding out her hand, the light settled in Baby Tooth's palm before disappearing like the strands. Her chest tightened for a moment, startling her before relaxing once more, a comfortable weight settling inside providing the only evidence of what just happened.

Suddenly, she was knocked out of her mind and found herself blinking against the light sneaking through the material of Jack's hood. She shook her head and placed a hand over her chest, feeling a weight that definitely wasn't there before.

' _What was that?'_ she thought to herself. ' _Maybe Queen Tooth will know.'_

With that thought Baby Tooth peeked outside and saw that they had relocated to the small cove at the bottom of the Tooth Palace. Like above, the magic that normally rested in this place was weakening.

Flying out, she saw North, Bunny, and Sandy move off to the side to assess the situation. The holiday figures quietly talking and Sandy adding in with his sand. Jack Frost remained where he was, most likely trying to take everything that had happened.

Tooth knelt by the water with a few toothless-canisters in front of her. For the first time in a very long time, the fierce warrior looked beaten.

Nodding to Jack, Baby Tooth shot over to Tooth and settled on a canister in her eye sight.

" _Queen Tooth,"_ she started softly. " _Please don't blame yourself. They snuck up on us, but we showed them we weren't easy targets!"_ Tapping into her weakened magic, Baby Tooth relayed her memories of the battle with Toothiana. They were mostly flashes of quick movements and emotions, but it was enough for the Queen to know they fought with all they had.

"You should have seen them." _"You did your best, too!"_ "They put up such a fight," Tooth relayed to Jack.

Baby Tooth quickly flew around the seasonal spirit, chirping, " _If you hadn't come along, though, I definitely would have been captured. So thank you!"_

The pair broke eye contact as Tooth began answering Jack's questions, gesturing for him to follow her to the mural. Baby Tooth hung back as the boy followed the older being, clutching a fist against her chest as she thought about the weight resting inside. ' _What was that?'_ she wondered to herself, vowing to seek Tooth out when she could.

"And when someone needs to remember something important, we help them."

Hearing that line, the weight inside loosened a bit as if it was agreeing with Tooth's statement. However, the feeling past too quickly for Baby Tooth to know for sure and she tried refocusing so she could pay attention to what was happening around her.

Watching Jack's expression as he realized his memories could be accessed through the teeth, Baby Tooth found herself wishing she could do just that. It was her job to help those like him remember what they needed to, and Pitch and his Night Mares had snatched her mission from her! It was unfair, but she vowed to help them make it right.

Her thoughts were interrupted though as a tiny thread in her severely unwound, still whole but very weak. Looking at Tooth, the little fairy frowned as some of the Queen's beautiful feathers fell and the mural dissolved away. Their power was weakening and Baby Tooth did not want to think what would happen when they lost it completely.

Everyone stood in silence (well, Sandy was always silent) as North muttered to himself, startling them at his "Idea!" statement and sword point to Bunny. "We will collect the teeth!"

" _What?!"_ she chirped in confusion.

"What?!" Tooth mimicked in confusion.

"We get teeth, children keep believing in you!"

A possible sound plan, if one didn't consider that "We're talking seven continents! Millions of kids!"

"Give me break. You know how many toys I deliver in one night?"

"And eggs I hide in one day?"

' _Actually, this could work!'_ Baby Tooth thought, allowing hope to fill her. It overflowed when Jack agreed to join them.

The group of six prepared themselves to head back into the field. North worked on regaining control over the reindeer, with the other guys watching from a safe distance in case something happened.

Off to the side and not paying too much attention to the others, Tooth and Baby Tooth took several deep breaths and tapped into the connected streams. The magic, though feeble, relayed the locations of children's teeth placed under their pillows for that night. Now it was just a matter of gathering them and leaving behind gifts.

Quite simple as long as they didn't encounter any issues.

The only problem Tooth could see was losing the connection with the magic streams before they collected enough teeth to keep their strength up. So far she and Baby Tooth could still sense where the teeth were and there was enough magic to keep the Palace from falling for at least a couple of days. Hopefully, they could take care of Pitch and his army of Night Mares before it was too late.

With fields coordinates in mind, Baby Tooth readied herself to rejoin the other group when she realized Tooth hadn't moved yet. Confused, she tried following her line of sight but could only see the Palace, empty and fading, but not completely lost.

" _What's wrong?"_ she asked, startling the larger fairy.

Tooth shook her head before looking at her last helped, stating, "I'm just worried about the others. We're all still connected through the magic streams, but who knows for how long."

Baby Tooth bowed her head at the thought as well, having felt them vaguely as they looked for teeth. Probably due to a combination of weak magic, separation from Punjam Hy Loo, and being trapped in Pitch Black's domain, the pair could only sense their fear at their captivity. No matter how much they tried, the magic couldn't pass along any message to any of them.

Despite this, the little fairy did her best to sound confident as she chirped, ' _I'm sure they know we haven't given up yet. They're counting on us to get them out, and we will!'_

Toothiana smiled at Baby Tooth, commenting, "You're right. We've got to keep fighting! And it's not like we're alone. North, Bunny, Sandy, and I have fought together before, and I'm sure Manny wouldn't have told us about Jack if he couldn't help us."

" _That's the spirit! I've already fought the Night Mares!"_ She began zipping around, throwing punches and kicks every now and then. " _So they better be prepared for Round 2!"_

"Yep, those guys better watch out!" Tooth added a few of her own punches, softly laughing as her mood lightened.

It was as Baby Tooth slowed down that she looked back at Tooth, unconsciously touching the part of her chest where the weight rest. ' _Should I tell her? She would probably know what this is, but what if she doesn't? Would this just make her worry more? Maybe I should-'_

"Tooth! We are ready to go!" North called out, startling Baby Tooth from her thoughts.

The Guardian of Memory looked over to her friend and flew over, yelling, "Alright! Hope you got enough snow globes ready!"

North let out an affirmative laugh, which only riled up Bunny's nerves more as they all piled into the sleigh.

' _No,'_ she decided, following quickly after and hovering near Jack's shoulder. ' _She's got enough on her mind. Besides, it was memory magic, so it's probably alright.'_

The boy looked down at her and smiled at her, causing her to return a bright smile as well. It was hard for her to feel sad whenever he was around. "You ready to show me how it's done, Baby Tooth?"

" _Just follow my lead, and you'll be a pro in no time!"_ she chirped, and she could have sworn he knew exactly what she was saying because he responded, "Guess I got the best field fairy then, huh?"

Which was odd, since even the other Guardians had a tough time understanding their language. Although, now that she thought about it, he was also a nature spirit and they tended to know most of the languages of the animals and certain plants. Their dialect must be similar enough to birds and the like for him to pick up on it.

Before she could say anything else, North snapped the reins and they were up in the air. Bunny immediately clutched the slides while the rest of them let out cheers (well, Sandy smiled and threw his arms up, which was close enough) as they ascended.

It felt nice flying among a group again, even if all of them were larger than her and only one was similar to her. Sure it's only been a few hours since the whole ordeal with Pitch started, but it seemed like much more time had passed.

As they passed through a snow globe portal, Baby Tooth pushed aside thoughts about the Boogey man, his Night Mares, and her captured sisters. Collecting teeth was what she was created for and what she exceled at. If she wanted to help them, then she needed to be the best tooth fairy she could be.

* * *

Stopping place for now. As mentioned earlier, the next part will be up later so it won't be too long of a wait.

Punjam Hy Loo is the name of the location in the books where the Palace is located. Even if the two places are slightly different, I'm still gonna alternate the names to avoid saying the same thing over and over. For those unaware, the Sisters of Flight were the original warriors in the book and there were flying elephants. That played a key plot point in Tooth's history, but doesn't affect this story. Just some book references I carry over to merge the two.

The magic streams around the world aren't mentioned (as far as I recall) in the books but I did wonder how the tooth fairies knew when a child lost a tooth. Another personal head cannon I came up with after thinking way too much about this universe.

Keep an eye out for another chapter tonight and thanks again for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

As mentioned earlier, here's the next chapter ready to go.

I didn't see anything to add by redoing the tooth collection and fighting scenes, so this part picks up after all that but also glosses over Baby Tooth's thoughts about the whole thing. Hopefully none of y'all mind.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" or "The Guardians of Childhood." Those rights belong to DreamWorks and William Joyce, respectively.

* * *

' _When did everything go so wrong?'_ Baby Tooth thought, watching everyone prepare for the memorial service.

The yetis on the production line slowly halted everything until not a gear shifted. Toys were chased and shut down so they wouldn't interrupt later. Even the elves ceased their mayhem and lent a hand to the yetis to make sure everything on the ground was clear.

In a separate room, Tooth, North, and Bunny quietly chatted with each other about how to conduct the service. Only a few yetis and elves bothered them, knowing they three wanted to be left by themselves to process the passing of their old friend.

Originally she meant to join Jack so he wouldn't be alone, but he had cast her a sad smile and said, "I need to be alone for a bit, Baby Tooth. Sorry." She followed him to the room he holed himself in, but decided against joining him once he put his hood over his head and curled up against the corner.

The sight was too heartbreaking for her, so she flew off and settled herself on a rafter overlooking the whole floor. Her tiny legs kicked out and back against the wood, not even producing a small thud from the action. Just another way for no one to notice her right away as she thought about the night's events.

Everything was going so well for them. The teeth were being collected, gifts left (once Queen Tooth reminded the guys, silly friends), and she could feel part of her magic returning. Not all of it, but enough to where she could actually sense her sisters if she focused enough. They must have known what they were up to because she was always overwhelmed with cheers of encouragement and happiness.

She might gone a bit overboard when she accidently attacked the Tooth Mouse. Very embarrassing and she didn't blame him for being angry at her. When this whole situation was resolved, she planned on meeting up with him again to apologize.

Aside from that though, everything was working out and they were all having fun, something she hadn't felt out in the field in a long time. That isn't to say she ever thought her job was boring, because that was far from it! There was just something about the 'friendly' competition and witnessing Toothiana back out in the field (even if she was also going a bit crazy) that reminded her there was more to than just collecting and guiding. Like the children she helped, sometimes the most simple and common actions seemed the most exciting.

Replaying the night through once more, it seemed the moment things turned bad was when they all met at the house of Jamie Bennet. A boy who believed almost everything, very imaginative, kept good care of his teeth, always tried to catch the Tooth Fairy in action but never could (she and her sisters often thought it as a challenge to see how sneaky they could be for children like that), and tried to keep his dog from hurting Bunny.

In a way it was probably Jack's fault for provoking the situation by hitting the alarm. Though it was also North's fault for not being quiet and waking Jamie in the first place. But then, Sandy should have immediately put the boy back to sleep with his sand. Why did he punch his hands like that anyway?

No matter what though, it seemed chaos had been waiting for any of those moments to strike and it didn't care what its introduction was. Baby Tooth recalled a flurry of activity and noise as they tried to take control of the situation. The last thing she saw was the bright dream sand streaking by and knocking both her and Toothiana out.

It wouldn't be until much later that she would wake up in the sleigh as the group returned to the North Pole, with Sandy noticeably absent. At first she didn't think too much of it, assuming he had gone off to take care of something. It wasn't until she took in everyone's downcast expression that she understood something had happened to him while she was still asleep. By that point, her connection to Tooth already filled in her on the specifics.

' _He didn't deserve that.'_ Her wings wilted even more as the yetis and elves began gathering below her, with the other three joining them with lanterns in their hands. She thought about flying down to join them, but decided against it. They knew Sandy for much longer than her, and she still felt guilty about sleeping through the whole fight.

That guilt only increased as the dream kept trying to occupy her thoughts even as the ceremony commenced with the soft clinking of bells. Baby Tooth did her best to focus as North started off a small speech about how the four of them had come together.

Unfortunately, the dim lights and quiet noise lured her back to her thoughts where the dream from early continued asking for notice. Leaning against the wood for balance, she clutched her hands close to her chest and closed her eyes, silently granting permission.

 **Opening her dream eyes, Baby Tooth let out a chirp of delight when she saw Punjam Hy Loo filled with her sisters and all the teeth. In her arms was a tooth, a child's last baby tooth her mind supplied, and she flew through the Palace so she could put it in its proper place. The columns and walls sparkled against the sunlight in a beautiful display of amber, gold, and bronze as she went on her way.**

 **The magic of Punjam Hy Loo hummed in the background as the sound of thousands of wings provided the accompanying melody. Chirps from the other fairies would call out lightly, with Queen Toothiana calling out assignments providing a constant source of words that blended in with the whole Palace symphony. Everything was just as it should be and had been for years.**

 **Baby Tooth kept soaring towards her destination, so excited at everything being back to normal that she didn't notice the subtle changes as she went on. The large, multiple entrances into the Palace disappeared, causing the remaining light inside to dim. The other fairies slowly disappeared without even a feather disturbed. Queen Toothiana's comments and beating wings faded out until only Punjam Hy Loo's magic was left, its hum calling out sadly at the loss of its accompaniment.**

 **Eventually the fairy came upon her destination, a capsule as common as any other with the smiling face of the tooth's child. She professionally placed it in its proper spot and smiled at another successful job.**

 **When she turned around to prepare for her next assignment, she immediately froze in confusion. The welcoming light from earlier had dimmed so much she could barely make out outline of the structures and could not see or hear any of the other fairies. Memories of the past few days flashed through her mind, startling her enough to remember that all of this was only a dream. A dream slowly turning into a nightmare. Once again, she found herself alone in a vast space with no idea how to return everything to normal.**

 **Just as fear began creeping through, Baby Tooth felt a familiar, calming sensation wrap around her like a strong coat. The sensation slowly strengthened until the fear completely vanished, even though she still found herself alone.**

 **Feeling more settled, she sensed something requesting permission to merge with her thoughts and she smiled when she realized why it was so familiar.**

 **It was the magic of Punjam Hy Loo, as strong and gentle as she remembered! Always in the background but never disregarded. Interconnected with everything her life revolved around and willing to share its secrets when the need arose.**

" _ **I've missed you,"**_ **she called out to it. A pressure settled over her hand, interlacing between her fingers like an old friend providing reassurance that they were there. She squeezed her hand against it, acknowledging the gesture.**

 **Taking in a small breath, she asked, "** _ **What do you need me to do?"**_

 **Baby Tooth allowed the pressure to turn her around and she couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion. The capsule she had just laid the tooth in remained opened and each of those valued objects didn't seem out of the ordinary. "** _ **I don't understand. How can the teeth help when they've been stolen?"**_

 **In response, the teeth suddenly started glowing. Now glowing teeth normally didn't surprise Baby Tooth. A good number of her sisters were created that way, including herself.**

 **What was not normal was a beam of light striking her body, most notably a specific spot in her chest. A spot where the small orb had settled and rested comfortably since. She carefully placed her other hand over that spot and saw the light beam delicately attach itself to the back of it.**

 **With Punjam Hy Loo magic still holding onto her other hand, the light guided her to a nearby tooth canister opening. Looking back and forth between the two, Baby Tooth realized threads of various brightness wrapped around some of the teeth in each canister. Following along, the other end of the threads connected with the other canister. Rather than tying directly to a tooth, though, the other end of the threads rooted themselves around them.**

 **Obviously the memories of these two children were intertwined with each other, even though there were certain sections in one canister that didn't have any threads from the other.**

 **Baby Tooth and the other fairies have come across numerous children's memories that resembled another's. After all, family and friends are often a major presence and influence in a child's life. It would make sense one would recall a memory one way while another person witnessing the same thing would recall it another.**

 **However, none of them had ever reported witnessing a display like this. They only sensed the memories had some relevance to each other. Even she and the other memory fairies, who were more sensitive to memories related to their original child's events, could barely bring up image flashes.**

 **Shaking her head, she asked, "** _ **Can you explain more, please? How will this help us?"**_

 **The light from the first canister split from the spot still attached to her hand and landed over the teeth of the other. The orb in her chest started noticeably glowing as well, even though her hand still rested over it.**

 **Pulling her hand away, Baby Tooth saw the light from her chest connected to the spot on her hands and split along the path as well. Punjam Hy Loo's magic, silent but steady, also surprised her by wrapping itself around the paths as well. The teeth and their accompanying lights brightened at the addition, and the Palace became fully illuminated with thousands of tooth fairy sized shapes dotting the air.**

 **In a blink everything vanished once more, including the teeth, light, and magical presence. Baby Tooth was alone once more, but filled with a new purpose.**

" _ **These memories are important, and it looks like the magic entrusted me to help! I won't fail!"**_

 **The last thing she remembered as she woke up from her dream was hearing laughter from two familiar voices, a girl and a boy.**

Baby Tooth opened her eyes in time to see that the memorial had ended and everyone quietly shuffled away. The only ones left around the tile site were Toothiana, North, and Bunny. Judging by the lack of leftover chill and ice patterns, Jack had not attended at all.

She couldn't blame him though. After all, she pretty much slept through the whole thing. But then, it was about a dream so maybe Sandy wouldn't have minded.

A few minutes afterwards, the three broke apart as well. North cast a quick look before quietly (a strange volume for someone who was always so boisterous) asking a passing yeti something and walking toward a direction they pointed toward. Bunny hopped straight toward the fireplace before settling into a crouched ball.

With Toothiana now alone, Baby Tooth flew down. The Queen cast her a sad smile, hovering away to a small room out of the way of everyone. Tooth fluttered over to the window and stared at the snow, still quiet save for the occasional flap of her wings.

Baby Tooth allowed her another minute of silence before chirping, " _Will you be alright?"_

The larger fairy looked at her lone helper, the smile from earlier still present. "In time, I guess. It's just… we've all known each other for so long that it feels wrong that he's gone. Ever since we went up against Pitch during the Dark Ages, we've always been a team. But…"

Tooth carefully seated herself on the ledge and Baby Tooth quickly settled on her leg. As the old warrior gently stroked her feathers, she continued, "But now I realize that until yesterday, when Man in the Moon called us here, we really haven't seen each other that much. I guess we figured since Pitch was no longer an issue we could allow ourselves to solely focus on our duties. North providing wonder with his toys, Bunny and his eggs of hope, me and all of you collecting teeth, and Sandy providing good dreams.'

"I know we met every now and then, but mainly in passing or because of some minor Guardian business. Except for last night, when we all collected the teeth, I can't recall us ever doing something fun together like that in a long time. Sad that even with our long history, the meaningful memories I have of him and even the others seem so few."

As Toothiana finished relaying her thoughts, Baby Tooth reached out her hand and placed it on Tooth's finger. " _That just makes those few memories all the more precious. I hardly knew him at all, but I did enjoy the time we had together, even if it was only one night. I'm sure he wouldn't want anyone to be sad."_

"You're right, Baby Tooth. He wasn't one to say much, but he always found a way to make himself heard. I can't tell you how many times he got annoyed when North and Bunny bickered about which holiday was better. Anytime they got too debated he would take his sand and place them on opposite sides of the room."

A genuine chuckle rang through the room, Tooth's expression lightening up. "Once, though, he forgot we were all at the Palace and accidentally flung them both off the columns. If he wasn't made of golden sand, I think he would have actually turned red from embarrassment. Thankfully, North and Bunny found their own ways to stop themselves from falling and we all had a good laugh about it. However, I always noticed Sandy would double check where we were before using his sand. He really was a great friend."

" _Does that mean it's up to us now to keep North and Bunny from arguing too much?"_ she joked, causing both fairies to laugh.

"I guess so. It'll be a tough job, but I think we can handle it. Thank you, Baby Tooth. I'm not sure what I would have done if you weren't with us."

" _We can thank Jack for that. He did save me from the Night Mare."_

"Yeah, he's held up his own. You should have seen him when he saw Sandy in danger. Flew straight to help and even managed to knock Pitch out of the sky. I think I see why Man in the Moon choose him to help us. I just hope we can help him once we recover his teeth."

" _Me too,"_ Baby Tooth chirped.

Before either of them could add on, they heard a knock on the wall and looked up to see Bunny standing in the doorframe. There were a few traces of tears in his eyes and the fur around those edges betrayed numerous rub marks, but he did look a bit better than he did earlier.

"Hate to interrupt, but I think y'all should have a look at the globe."

' _Guess we can't catch a break,_ ' Baby Tooth thought as they entered the main room and watched several lights flicker and fade away. ' _What else can we do?'_

* * *

That's all for now and I hope it was worth the small wait. Not much else to add except that the next part will be posted sometime tomorrow.

Until then, thanks again for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Another movie scene jump, though not as much as last chapter. Still a bit of retelling of the movie, but retold from a different point of view.

Note: I don't cover that here, but I think that when children are asleep they are more sensitive to things around them, so their minds believe someone or something is there even if they don't see it when they're awake. Kind of like feeling there's someone/something near you but you don't see anything (only less creepy in this instance!). So that's why Jack was able to take Sophie home, at least that's how I see it.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" or "The Guardians of Childhood." Those rights belong to DreamWorks and William Joyce, respectively.

* * *

Baby Tooth couldn't help but admire everything during their time in the Warren. The air was so warm and pleasant, the vegetation green and healthy, and the egg sentries were something she never thought she would see. The small eggs walking around reminded her very much of her and her sisters, each tasked with a job and happy to carry it out.

The color streams flowing around the place also brought to mind how the magic ran through the Palace. They weren't as noticeable as the streams here, but it reminded her of home all the same.

She could see why Bunny hated going to the North Pole if this is what he was used to. Stuck in a wide, snow covered expanse with only the Workshop as shelter and color probably felt a bit jarring.

Sophie (routine tooth brusher and some flossing) in the Warren was quite a surprise, but a welcome one after the Pitch fiasco. She was both sweet and chaotic, like most children during those years of active motion and attempting to understand the world around them. Although, dentistry wasn't going to be a current future career choice if her reaction to Toothiana was anything to go by.

Her innocent laughter echoing throughout the Warren was a sweet sound to hear, even if her attempts at helping only mounted to her chasing the smaller eggs out of their path. But none of them seemed to mind the game only she knew the rules to. Even Bunny, normally very fussy around this time of year, allowed himself to relax as he showed her everything the Warren had to offer.

Yes, Sophie was an unexpected visitor for sure, but not unwelcome by far.

In fact, seeing her tonight after visiting with her brother from earlier gave Baby Tooth some kind of peace she couldn't explain. Maybe it was a reminder that she guarded a certain aspect of their childhood so they could face the world once they left it behind. Or to hold on and hope that everything will work out during this Pitch fiasco. Either of these or a combination felt right, but not complete.

If she had to try and place her feelings, it would be comfort in the knowledge that someone she loved had others to love as well. A strange feeling since she couldn't recall feeling this strongly about any other child before, let alone two within a short time span. Once this mess was taken care of, Baby Tooth planned on figuring out what was going on with her.

As the blonde child curled up in Bunny's arms, the normally gruff Pooka commented, "Ah, poor little ankle biter. Look at her, all tuckered out."

"I love her."

" _I do as well,"_ Baby Tooth added, and something in her being truly meant it.

The child let out a yawn, and Bunny transferred her to Tooth as she stated, "I think it's time to get her home." " _I agree."_

"How about I take her home?" Jack asked, standing up as well.

" _What?"_

"Jack, no. Pitch is out there-"

"No match for this," he interrupted, showing off his staff. A simple looking item that Baby Tooth regretted not seeing in action. Though hopefully not anytime soon.

"Which is why we need you here, with us."

"Trust me, I'll be quick as a bunny!"

It was obvious from the other three's expressions that they didn't want him to go. They may be strong warriors, but the loss of Sandy and lack of believe was taking a toll on their strength. Jack leaving would put them at a dangerous disadvantage. Not to mention what could happen if Pitch decided to attack Jack while he was on his own.

"No offense, mate, but remember that she can't see ya. Will ya even be able ta carry her?" The younger spirit's smile shrank at the statement, though it did raise a valid point. It would be useless for him to go if he couldn't even carry back home.

"Well, can I at least try?"

The three cast each other a quick look, before Tooth carefully deposited the sleeping child in the boy's arms. Everyone held their breath as she slowly retracted her arms and to their amazement, Sophie remained above the ground and even shifted up so her arms wound tightly around Jack's neck. It was quite a cute sight, though her grip must have been strong since Jack seemed to wince a bit when he tried adjusting his grip.

"See! I can handle this, no problem. Besides, do any of you even know where she lives?"

"Of course! She's at… hm…" North let out a quiet hum when he realized he couldn't recall at the moment. Bunny's ears lowered, answering that. Tooth seemed ready to comment, but it was obvious she didn't exactly know either.

' _How can they not know? This is Jamie's sister,'_ Baby Tooth thought, and then realized none of them seemed to know that piece of information. ' _Then how did I?_ '

"Like I said," Jack's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she turned toward him. "I can handle this. I even know a shortcut to the house. She'll be tucked back into her bed before you'll even miss us."

Bunny let out a sigh, saying, "Alright, fine. You can take her."

"But hurry back soon," North added.

Nodding, he turned to go when she quickly flew next to him, chirping, " _I'll keep you company. Plus, I can open the window if it's locked."_

"Good idea, Baby Tooth. Is that alright with you, Tooth? Wouldn't want to leave you guys short two great warriors."

Baby Tooth turned toward the Queen, adding on, " _Please, Toothiana! I'll make sure he makes it back!"_

The bigger fairy sighed as well, but relented. "Alright, you two better head out now. We'll need your help with Easter. And please, be careful."

Chuckling, he restated, "We will."

Something in the back of Baby Tooth's mind went off, and she barely heard Jack request a tunnel from Bunny. She shook off the feeling as a tunnel opened near them and she flew after Jack as he jumped through.

Like before, the lanky spirit looped along the tunnel walls, leaving behind a thin trail of frost that evaporated as soon as they were out of eyesight. His arms kept a protective brace against Sophie's still slumbering form. How she managed to sleep through all this was quite a mystery. Baby Tooth kept up pace with him and let out chirps of excitement in an attempt to push away the feeling from before.

Minutes later, the tunnel opened and Jack barely managed to grip his staff enough to keep himself balanced between his momentum and the Wind. His feet landed a bit unevenly and for a moment it seemed he would fall on his back.

Fortunately, the Wind picked up just in time to push against him and he found his footing on the snowy ground. "Haha, thanks Wind!" he loudly whispered, transferring Sophie's weight in his arms.

Baby Tooth shook her head in amusement, chirping, " _That was a bit close, don't you think?"_

"Okay, yeah, maybe not my best moment," he sheepishly admitted. "But I knew I would be alright. Wind always has my back. Right?"

In response, a small breeze brushed around the group, taking extra effort to ruffle through his hair. It ceased when Sophie let out a sleepy shiver, but still the blonde remained in dream world. Maybe they should have met in her room instead of Jamie's.

"Anyway, let's get this little trouble maker back home. Now let's see…"

Looking around, Baby Tooth vaguely recognized they were standing near a park located near a frozen pond nestled among some trees. Another ting went off in her mind, but she pushed it away again. Now wasn't the time for that.

"Ah, there we are." Jack began walking away from the pond and headed across a small clearing toward a fence line. "Just up this way and we'll be back in no time."

" _Why didn't you want Tooth to take her home?"_ she asked, flying beside his head. " _If her house is this close to the tunnel, then it's unlikely she would have gotten lost."_

"I know, I know. It's just that… well, this place holds a special spot for me, that's all." He gently leaped and the Wind swept him up and over the fence line, depositing him back on the ground in time for his next foot step.

" _Why?_ "

Biting his lip, he answered, "That pond we just passed is actually the first thing I ever remember. And this town, Burgess, was the first place I ever visited when I found out my name. But, I didn't know I was invisible so when I tried talking to someone…"

He didn't complete the sentence, but Baby Tooth could already guess what happened. No one saw him, so no one knew they passed right through him. It must have been scary not knowing what was happening and have no body to turn to.

Baby Tooth felt grateful she was created in the Tooth Palace already knowing her purpose. No questioning what she was, if there were others like her, or unsure where she came from.

Jack started slowing down as they approached a house that Baby Tooth remembered belonged to the Bennet children. The last place they were all together and sharing good laughs and friendship.

If Jack was thinking the same thing, he didn't display it as he kept on. "Overtime, I figured out what was happening. Wind led me to the other seasonal spirits who clued me in on my powers, they led me to others with other information, and between all that I kept returning here. Only thing I can think of is that this place is sort of like my home, since it is the first thing I remember.'

"I watched a lot of people come and go, saw the little settlement grow into this town, and looked after the children of each generation. I'm not a hundred percent certain, but I'm pretty sure this hyper fairy," he lightly shook the blonde in his arms, smiling as she snuggled closer to his chest. Only to wince a bit when her grip tightened. "And the ever adventurous Jamie can trace their family roots back to the first settlers. Guess I just took it upon myself to watch over them because of that."

They stopped below Sophie's bedroom window, which actually did end up being closed. " _Give me a second,_ " she ordered before flying up and phasing through the glass. She looked around the room and cast a quick look down the hall in case anyone passed by.

Not seeing anyone, she immediately went back to the window and undid the lock. Pushing it open, she chirped, " _Coast is clear._ "

Adjusting his grip again, Jack jumped and the Wind caught him under his feet. The helpful current set him on the window seal before shifting away so it didn't disturb anything in the room. Baby Tooth quickly closed the glass panes behind him in case someone walked in and wondered how it opened.

Placing his staff to the side, Jack walked over to the bed and leaned over to set the child down. However, it seemed Sophie's grip remained strong as iron.

" _Alright?"_

By this point, he starting giving up on being stealthy. " _I think she's really asleep."_

Forcefully, but gently, he managed to unlock her hands from around his neck and quickly stepped off the bed. Neither of them had time to react when the young girl rolled off her bed.

" _Oh! Think she's alright?"_

"Sophie, is that you?!" they heard down the hall, momentarily panicking.

Looking down, they saw she still remained asleep and didn't appear to suffer any injury. With no better alternative, Jack threw a blanket over her to bite off the chill before throwing down a stuffed sheep.

Hopefully her mom wouldn't think too much of it.

Quietly, the pair exited through the window and cast another look to make sure their charge was alright.

"We should get back."

" _I agree."_

She looked toward Sophie to make absolutely sure she was alright when she suddenly froze. Carried on by a breeze was the faded call of laughter in a voice she had grown far too familiar with.

To her shock, Jack immediately reacted and looked out just in time for both to hear a faint _Jack!_

" _What is this? Jack did you-"_

"That voice, I know that voice," he whispered.

" _What? How can you-"_ Something in her chest tightened in the exact place where everything had settled.

They heard his name called out again, and his eyes slightly misted until it almost looked like he was placed in a trance. Without a word, he took off and the Wind instantly caught him and took him straight where the voice had come from.

Baby Tooth stared after him for a quick moment, the sensation in her chest tightening once more. When it became obvious he wasn't going to return, she immediately flew after him. Whatever this was, it seemed ominous.

Losing track of direction, Jack stopped on top of a house and Baby Tooth almost caught up with him when they heard it again

 _Jack._

He took off once more, not seeming to hear her call out, " _Jack, wait!"_

This time she managed to catch up to him and they eventually landed in a sparsely wooded area. " _Jack, please stop and-"_

 _Jack?_

" _Please slow down!"_

When they finally had a moment to settle, they looked around and came across a strange sight. Nestled in a tiny clearing and having no natural business of being there, was a wooden bed resting over a hole in the ground. Two rods towered over a headboard with two rods half that size laid at the end. Strangely, if that was even possible, there wasn't a mattress, a pillow, or anything like that over the bed's body. Just a row of boards that look like they've definitely seen better days.

Everything was just growing more and more bizarre.

To her dread, Jack began approaching it.

" _No! What are you doing?! We need to go back!"_ She pulled at his hood, knowing it was pointless but still needing to try something.

"Don't worry." She lost her grip and flew back a few inches. "There-There's still time." He kept approaching and all she could do was roll her head and say, " _Are you kidding me?!"_

They were mere feet from the bed, and she continued trying to convince him to leave. " _See! This can wait! Let's leave."_

When all he did was continue staring down, Baby Tooth decided to hang back a moment and wait for another chance to reason with him. Whoever set this up knew they were being ominous, and they obviously didn't care how obvious it was.

What she didn't expect was for Jack to start beating against the middle plank until it fell down. The moment the boards clanked to the bottom, the voice called out _Jack!_ again.

" _Oh dear."_ Looking over, she recoiled in shock when she realized what was running though his mind.

" _No! Don't you dare!"_

Of course, he ended up flying down the hole anyway.

" _Oh no, oh no!"_

Despite her judgement and instincts screaming otherwise, she followed after him. Someone needed to make sure he made it out of this! She was so worried that she didn't notice that spot inside her chest seeming to reach out towards the voice as well.

He carefully crouched through what appeared to be a series of tunnels, staff facing forward in case they were attacked. Throughout that whole time, she flew around him, chirping, " _We've seen enough! Now let's go! We can bring the others!"_

"Baby Tooth! Baby-" She pulled at his hood once again, managing to actually pull him back a bit. "Come on!"

" _No! We need to go!"_

"I have to find out what that is."

" _We can do it later!"_

They were so busy talking to each other that when they faced forward, neither could believe what they were seeing. Their tunnel led to a great cavern with several cages suspended from the ceiling.

It wasn't until they fully entered and saw the whole place littered with cages that whatever was inside them began to stir. Once the noise reached their ears, the pair finally realized with was the buzzing of tooth fairies. The buzzing of the captured tooth fairies!

Without wasting another second, they zipped through the place, jumping one cage to another.

" _You've found us!" "We knew you'd come!" "Help us!" "Is Toothiana coming?!" "Are the other Guardians on their way?!"_

Baby Tooth and Jack did their best to quiet them in order to keep Pitch, for who else could these caverns belong to, from knowing they were here. It was highly likely he already knew, but it wasn't something Baby Tooth wanted to think about.

" _It's going to be alright!"_ She hoped the repeating voice was only her imagination. " _We'll get you out soon! Remain calm!"_ The voice called out once more at the same time her chest tightened once more.

However she pushed that discomfort away in favor of helping her sisters. " _Jack will help me free you! And then we can-"_

A blue blur dropped out of her peripherals, silencing Baby Tooth and the other fairies. They watched as Jack landed on one of the messy piles (because what else could describe the absolute organizational chaos littering the cavern floor) of teeth canisters and began frantically looking for something.

" _No! Jack, what are you doing?! There isn't time!"_ Her sisters called out similar sentiments, but all Baby Tooth could focus on what Jack and the continuing sensation of something heavy filling her chest.

Everyone was so focused on what lay in front of them that no heard the shadow approaching until it asked, "Looking for something?"

Immediately, Jack shot out a blast of energy from his staff, missing the laughing shadow and hitting the cavern wall. As the shadow retreated, Jack followed after it and Baby Tooth readied to join him.

She didn't realize there was another shadow lurking under the cage until it silently pounced. The last thing she saw was Jack's retreating form and her sisters chirping out a warning from inside their own cages.

Having journeyed against winds, braved past storms and blizzards, gone through magic portals, and surf tunnels, Baby Tooth figured she had experienced whatever form of travel any being could experience. Each had their ups and downs, but she always knew where her final destination would rest.

Shadows, as she was unfortunately learning, were a different method all together. They constantly shifted and swerved, never following a straightforward path in favor of traversing around whatever curve came their way. It felt like she was being pressed down from all sides into a pressure that reached almost unbearable levels. At the same, though, she also felt like there was nothing there at all and she was stuck in an endless void.

Her body, small but durable after years braving the worst elements the weather could devise, contorted into positions and shapes she never imagined. Her mind tried telling her she should be feeling pain as that's what her eyes witnessed. But for some reason, those connections to the proper nerve receptors were severed and completely numbed.

The contradictions were driving her to near insanity, made worse by the fact that she couldn't even command her eyes to close. An action usually so simple now astonishingly impossible.

The worst part, if she really was forced to choose, were the constant whispers assaulting her hearing. She couldn't place the language in anything in known to human, animal, bug, plant, elemental, or even magic kind.

Despite that, something inside her translated the noise as harsh words meant to drive her to madness. How anyone could travel through this domain constantly without losing all of their sanity was a great mystery.

Before Baby Tooth could panic at the thought of remaining trapped in this domain forever, her eyes were assaulted with light. Clenching her eyes, she turned away from the source and found herself trying to remember how to breathe. A stale breeze ruffled through her feathers, carrying with it an inaudible sound she gradually recognized as her sisters' chirps.

In a few more long breathes she found her panic waning and realized she was no longer traveling through those shadows. Blinking, she found herself laying in a small cage on her own. The whole structure swayed as she sat up, so she must have been suspended like the others.

"Now, what to do with you," Pitch mused, shocking her enough that she accidently hit her head against the top. The dark chuckle pushed aside her discomfort as she turned around, keeping herself balanced as the cage rocked lightly.

"Didn't enjoy your time with the shadows, hm? Can't say I blame you. They aren't the most polite beings in the universe, although they do love meeting new creatures."

Something brushed against Baby Tooth's leg, causing her to jump against the side of the cage violently. Through the swinging she caught several shadows without origins slithering around her. A few inched their way forward before they all retreated back.

"See what I mean? Impolite, but friendly in their own way."

Frustrated, Baby Tooth stared out at the tall figure and screeched, " _Enough! Let me, Jack, and the others go before the Guardians find us and beat you back into whatever hole you clawed your way out of!_ "

Whether he didn't fully understand her threat or not, he still remained standing straight, his twisted smile not wavering. He must have sensed her intent, though, because he teased, "Aww, it's sweet how you think your Guardians will come to your rescue. You think I haven't thought of every possible plan to interrupt Easter, especially after you fools tried collecting those teeth to keep your precious Tooth from fading away?"

" _It doesn't matter what you planned! They-"_

"Have already failed."

The shadows around the edge rustled and crawled forward, circling around in front of her. Baby Tooth took a defensive position as she caught the outline of shapes emerging from the darkness. Once the shapes took on a definite form and the shadows retreated, she couldn't hold back a tiny squeak of shock.

Fragments of cracked egg shells rocked as they were placed in front of her. None of them were of the same design or color, and the pieces were barely larger than her hands. These definitely weren't from all the eggs, but there was enough to convince her Pitch and his Night Mares had indeed destroyed everything in their sight. Easter was ruined.

Her silence must have been enough for Pitch to feel he got his point across. "Like I said, I spent quite a bit of time planning the best way to ruin Easter. Honestly, it appeared fate wanted me to succeed when you and Jack Frost left the Warren."

" _Jack?"_ Suddenly, the unexpected voice made a lot of sense. Pitch somehow found Jack's teeth and manipulated the canister just enough to let a bit of memory magic trickle through. How he could do that should have worried her, but all she could think of was if her friend was alright. " _Jack! Where is he?"_

"Oh don't worry, one of you received your wish. Honestly, rewarding Frost his memories only if he helps you defeat me, one could almost view it as blackmail. I wonder what the Guardians will think when they see him, possessing his teeth while you are nowhere in sight."

" _No… You're lying. Jack wouldn't leave me, not by choice! They'll know you tricked us! You'll see! They're on their way now to finish you off!_ "

Laughter poisoned the air around them, agitating her feathers. "You hold those old fools in too high esteem. Think of it this way: your queen is already weakened, the sandman is gone, children's believes are being swiftly snuffed out, and now they must rely on Jack Frost to protect them. A winter spirit known for mischief with no past connection to any of them. If I remember correctly, the rabbit already doesn't trust him because he's ruined Easters in the past.'

"Tell me, honestly, do you think they'll give him a chance to hear his side of the story? Keeping in mind that they only way he could have gotten those teeth was through me, who just so happened to attack once Frost was far away from the Warren."

For several seconds, Baby Tooth remained silent as she went through his words. What he said was the painful truth, even the critiques of Jack. The Guardians are kind, she knew, but they also had warrior spirits. And Pitch knew what could drive them to distrust an outsider, even if they were slowly becoming friends.

" _Even still,"_ she muttered, more to herself than to Pitch. " _He knows where we are. He'll come, even if he's alone. Which won't happen._ "

"Your desire for a positive outcome is quite touching, though utterly useless. No matter what you believe," by now, Pitch's pitch had softened to an almost apologetic tone. "There are just those of us who don't fully belong and will always be mistrusted. One mistake, no matter how small, is a powerful enough weapon to knock us down.'

"I tried warning Jack away precisely because of that. I've spent too long planning my return to allow anyone to ruin it. It is regretful he was dragged into this mess, since my main concern is with the Guardians and a few others. But, I can see how a lonely being can find themselves wanting to believe someone values their presence.'

"Makes one ignore the hurt and focus purely on the companionship."

The Nightmare King looked toward the inverted globe in the center of his lair, a thoughtful expression on his face. Baby Tooth followed his gaze, but immediately turned away when she saw hundreds of lights dim out. She would keep believing they would pull through this entire mess, no matter what.

Looking back to the spot Pitch was at, she wasn't surprised that he had left without disturbing any of her senses. ' _Probably preparing for the rest of his plans,_ ' she thought miserably, picking up a few shell fragments.

They really were amazing to see. Each unique and determined to fulfil their roles. Providing whatever amount of hope the seeker needed to remain positive.

' _I can use a bit of that,_ ' she mentally sighed, kneeling next to the pile. She absentmindedly rummaged through the pieces, collecting colors and patterns that caught her eye. There were a number of shades she couldn't recall ever seeing, along with some names she doesn't recall ever learning.

Every now and then, she came across a hue that reminded her of something. Pink representing healthy gums. A bright gold she could have mistook for dream sand. North's red coat. A certain green that could have passed for one of her feathers. A smidge of gray of Bunny's fur. A piece white as a certain someone's sparkling snow teeth. The dazzling purple she saw in Tooth's eyes when she was created.

With each new memory, Baby Tooth found her mood brightening a bit. She knew she was still in trouble, that she had to find a way to help the others. But it seemed this time she needed her own reminder of what was important.

Picking up another piece, a Punjam Hy Loo sunset orange, something calming wrapped around her hand. She almost dropped the piece thinking a shadow had come back. However, a comforting pressure interlaced with her fingers and she knew immediately she wasn't alone. The magic had yet to leave her, so that must mean she could still help the Guardians defeat Pitch.

' _I hope Jack is alright._ ' It seemed the magic felt the same way as it reapplied a bit of pressure.

She had just placed the shell portion into the proper pile when she sensed something sinister approaching. The magic vanished from her hand, though she could still feel a wisp of it hover over her arm.

Shadows surrounded her and before she could even fly up, the descended around her and pulled her back through their realm.

* * *

Aside from "Tooth Collection," "Jack Betrays" is one of my favorite scenes and soundtrack in the entire movie! It's so chilling seeing Jack trapped in a shadowy domain with Pitch slowly chipping away his confidence. I also noticed Baby Tooth had vanished once the shadow appeared, so my imagination decided to give her a bit of fright (Sometimes I'm nice, other times not so much).

With that, I do genuinely think Pitch was sincere about wanting to not be alone when he talked to Jack in Antarctica. It reminds me of scenes in the books (spoilers) where he slowly remembers who he was before becoming the Nightmare King and hating himself for releasing them. That's sort of why I set up his taunt with Baby Tooth, to give him a new idea on how to get Jack on his side.

One more chapter to go and this will be completed. Thanks for reading this far!


	6. Chapter 6

And we've finally made it to the last chapter. Yay.

When I originally came up with the idea, I originally only planned to write the first chapter and most of this one. Like I mentioned earlier, though, I ended up thinking a lot more about the idea and felt I wouldn't be able to explain it well without everything sounding clunky (well, more clunky at least). In the end, writing this whole story out actually gave me a few new ideas that made it into this final product.

Hope y'all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own "Rise of the Guardians" or "The Guardians of Childhood." Those rights belong to DreamWorks and William Joyce, respectively.

* * *

With the memory of her unwanted travel through shadows still fresh in her mind, Baby Tooth did her best to brace herself for another round of dizzying perceptions and chilling murmurs.

Oddly, there wasn't much of that this time. She was still confused at her mind and body not being able to properly respond to each other, and the ancient predator from last time was still hiding within obscure veils. This time, though, she wasn't floating in an expansive void. She seemed to be pulled along some unseen path at a pace immeasurable by current time scales.

Interesting contrast or not, Baby Tooth still had no clue where she would end up and it troubled her.

Perhaps Pitch had changed his mind on where he wanted to imprison. Maybe he decided keeping her and the others around were too much of a risk. It's also possible this wasn't his doing at all but the work of his shadows. They seemed the sort of beings that delighted in this sort of thing.

The first things she noticed when her body was once again assaulted with the reality she was used to were freezing air, a crushing boundary, and the fading charge of energy. Her eyesight took a hit as well, but she wasn't going to let that stop her this time.

" _What are you doing?! Let go!"_

"Baby Tooth!"

She knew that voice!

She snapped her eyes opens at the same time something crushed around her body, causing her to chirp out in pain. Apparently Pitch Black wasn't done using her yet.

" _Ouch! No! Jack, I'm alright! Don't listen to Pitch! Please!"_

The Winter spirit quickly lifted up his staff and he tried to anticipate what the other's move would be. Even she grew quiet so she could figure out a way to escape.

"The staff, Jack!... You have a bad habit of interfering. Now hand it over, and I'll let her go."

Pitch squeezed her hand around her again, barely managing to avoid crushing anything. She knew he would do whatever it took to destroy the Guardians, and she couldn't allow that to happen. Not even if it came at the cost of her life.

" _Jack, don't do it! Don't worry about me!"_

Time dragged on as she watched Jack consider the trade. He should know it was more important to stop Pitch, if not for the Guardians then at least for the children. They would need protection once the older beings were gone.

However, a small part of Baby Tooth hoped he would do it. She never considered she would ever leave this world in any way. Too many teeth collect, children to guard, friends to look after. Now, with death almost literally surrounding her, she realized she didn't want to go. A bit selfish considering the stakes, she knew, but something she couldn't ignore all together.

It was up to Jack to decide though, and he made up his mind as he loosened his grip on a simple object with the ability to ruin someone's plans.

" _No…" He's trying to protect me, again._

Dejectedly, he followed through on his promise and let Pitch snap the piece of wood from his hands. It looked wrong at the lack of frost patterns running across its surface. It looked much worse being in the hands of Pitch Black.

"Alright, now let her go."

Pitch's pleased smile fell as he stated, "No."

" _What?!"_

"You said wanted to be alone, so be alone!"

With his focus distracted, Baby Tooth allowed a surge of anger to rush through her body as she felt his grip loosen. No way was she going let Pitch keep her from her friend! " _Take this!_ "

She leaned her head back and stabbed her beak into his hand. It wasn't enough to pierce through his skin, but it definitely agitated him.

Before she could deliver another blow, he drew his arm back and flung her away. She was unable to contain her cries of alarm as she sailed through the air and slammed against an ice wall.

Dazed and unable to control her wings, gravity pulled her down and she landed on her side at the bottom of a small chasm. Each nerve was on fire with no way to put it out. Miraculously, none of her bones felt broken but she was sure she would have sported a dark shade of purple if her feathers weren't covering here.

' _Breathe… Breathe…'_

Gradually her mind regained control of itself once it received all the information her body carried to it. She still felt very sore, but the ice and freezing air helped numb the over excited receptors delivering messages to her brain. Finally, with the physical pain quieted, her body released a bit of healing magic gifted to the tooth fairies by Punjam Hy Loo to relieve them if they encountered any injury out in the field.

She heard something smash against the wall and tumble down into the chasm with her, followed by a dark chuckle closed out by the sound of two objects hitting the ground.

' _Breathe... Breathe…_ '

In a few seconds she began feeling alright. A bit weak and most likely scarred for life, but alright all the same. Besides the slight soreness, her biggest discomfort now was the intense cold oozing from underneath her.

"Baby Tooth," Jack whispered to her, scrambling over and setting his hands around her. "You alright?"

He gently transferred her shivering body into the palm of his hand, a sentiment she appreciated even if the timing wasn't the best. Her soreness had pretty much vanished by now and all she could focus on was the cold. It became unbearable as Jack placed his other hand over here.

" _Wait!"_ she managed to call out, feeling his hand move away just in time for her to sneeze.

"Sorry, all I can do is keep you cold." He moved her into his other hand and moved back against the wall. "Pitch is right. I make a mess of everything." Baby Tooth looked up at him as she kneeled in his hands, feeling herself completely heal.

Suddenly, that spot in her chest beat. Eyes widening, she sensed the presence of teeth and finally understood what she needed to do!

Not wasting another moment, she headed towards the pocket of his hoodie where she knew the canister laid. Baby Tooth placed her hands along the top of the canister and felt an instant rush as the magic lying dormant inside answered her.

Memories, even the faintest ones, each provided enough power to create their own little spark of magic. This magic wouldn't manifest as strong as other types, but it still desired a protection in case anything should happen. At some point, the teeth swore to safeguard those childhood memories since they were one of the toughest things around.

The first memories agreed and from then on, memories no longer had to worry if they could last on past childhood. Teeth, if properly taken care of, could outlast childhood and provide a permanent protection for memories. In gratitude, the memories seeped their magic into the teeth themselves, which used that gift to fortify its defenses and keep both of them safe.

The only things the teeth found trustworthy enough to lower their guards and expose those memories were the magic streams and tooth fairies.

Baby Tooth called upon the magic bestowed on all Punjam Hy Loo's tooth fairy warriors and requested the teeth allow her access to the memories. The protectors poked at this magic, recognized it, and gave themselves permission to share those memories.

On its final beat, she caught sight of the orb flash once in her chest and phase through the covering. She could feel the teeth and memories inside respond to the other thing's presence with both curiosity and confusion.

This strange entity wasn't dangerous, otherwise the teeth would have known, and seemed to only want to enhance the magic already present, which memories thought they already had enough of. It wasn't until they fully allowed this third energy to join that the involved parties realized what it was.

A direct droplet of magic of Punjam Hy Loo, riding along with Baby Tooth until it could finally meet up with them! **Important memories must be shared, and there's one final thing we need!**

Her hand, the same one the light from her child's teeth held in her dream, tingled in response to the other two interacting with each other. Baby Tooth watched the glowing threads sprout from her hand and phased through the canister's opening.

Now the teeth and memories were really confused. For the entity joining them now wasn't magic from the Palace nor did its magical signature match either of them. It was definitely a childhood memory, but lacked a noticeable connection to its teeth protectors. Why would teeth leave their charges in the hands of something that couldn't shield them? Why were these memories trying to join them?

The memories and teeth would have pondered this for a long while, but Baby Tooth knew there wasn't time to that. These two sets of memories had to work together, which is probably why the Punjam Hy Loo magic was present. It was the only power capable of joining them together without harming either.

She increased her hold against the cover and willed everything to listen to each other. ' _Someone needs to remember something important! They need your help!_ '

Hearing that, the canister's residents perked up and hastily welcomed the other memories. The threads sent out a quick 'thank you' before wrapping themselves around the teeth and rooting their ends around them. Punjam Hy Loo magic braced itself wherever the two sets linked. In less than a blink, the trio were fully woven together with some memories filling in gaps in another.

Baby Tooth felt her own tug once the process was complete. Taking in a small breathe, she loosened the canister and guided out a familiar voice.

 _Jack._

The whole canister began glowing as Baby Tooth unlocked more memory paths. Years' worth of practice and execution took over that she hardly needed to think about what she was doing. _Jack._

A large hand reached into the hood and pulled the canister away from her hands, its glow fading away. Baby Tooth scurried out of the hood and settled herself near Jack's knee, watching as he stared at the object with the answers he needed.

His eyes stared into hers, questioning what he was supposed to do next. Nodding, she placed her hand back on the cover, a silent permission for Jack followed by an encouraging hum from the memories.

He pressed his fingers in the center and Baby Tooth watched as a soft light beamed out, small specks of other colors glistering off. Having never seen a memory awakening take place in front of her before, she allowed herself to take in the image for a few moments.

The canister still shone, a sign the memories were being accessed. From her view point, the glow cast Jack's entire face in a gentle light, softening his features and animating his skin enough that he no longer looked so pale. It matched the tone of a human teen whose childhood had yet to leave them.

His eyes captured her attention the most. She could barely make out the bright blue as they were drowned out by the other colors, constantly changing as memories swept over him. Whether this happened to all children or was solely unique to this situation, Baby Tooth was just grateful to witness it.

Focusing again on the memory links, she was surprised at how easy it was for her to brush against a strand and witness the entire memory as well. Normally she could only pick out bits of emotions and flashes of color, not several moving snap shots as this. She mentally backed away as they passed by and tried to make sense of it all.

Her confusion only grew as she recognized a few memories that belonged to her child, the one whose memories she still knew but never thought about. The two of them, child and fairy, had been put on different paths. Sure she found herself reminding the girl about her childhood during the years she was still alive, though she wasn't the only one who did so.

' _It seems highly improbable… but, not impossible._ ' There could only be one reason why these memories matched so well, and why the three magic entities could pull this feat off.

For a tiny second, Baby Tooth was tempted to reach out to those strands again and watch those memories with Jack. It was likely to be dizzying, trying to focus many perspectives and emotions into one view, but not entirely uncomfortable. She, too, could fill in some memory gaps her child possessed in her own mind. Either due to time or lack of information.

It was an opportunity that was likely to never happen again and no one would blame her for doing it.

' _No._ '

Keeping some focus on the memories, Baby Tooth stepped off Jack's knee and sat on the ground. ' _Even though the memory still hurt, she moved on. Found peace and purpose. Her gratitude never wavered, and now she's finally given the chance to return the favor. I may be related to this past, but it's still not mine.'_

Mind made up, the mismatched eye fairy carefully untangled the rest of herself from the exchange, unnoticed by the memory strands. They knew what to do by this point and didn't need her to guide them any longer. The only entity that noticed was magic, who merely brushed against her hand and let her go.

Fully in the present and still cold, she wrapped her arms around her now empty chest and waited patiently.

It wasn't too much longer that Jack let out a loud gasp and the light vanished. She stared at him, gauging whether she needed to help return him to the current time.

"Did you- Did you see that?!"

Not entirely sure what he what he was referring to, though she had a pretty good idea, she shook head. ' _Nope. We usually can't.'_

Her answer didn't distract him, though, as he smiled, rambling on. "It w-It was me!" While she was still cold and his hands were freezing, she didn't stop him as he picked her up. Good news almost always wanted to be shared.

"I had a family! I had a sister!" " _I'm glad you remember!"_

"I saved her!" " _That's wonderful!_ "

As that reality hit, Jack grew quiet and looked up towards the moon, muttering, "That's why you chose me."

Baby Tooth gave him some time to sort through his thoughts. This was definitely a huge moment for him, and there really wasn't anything else she could add.

"I'm… I'm a Guardian." Well, maybe there were a few things, but that can wait until later.

A moaning breeze broke both of them out of their thoughts.

" _Now what?_ "

He placed her in his hood and began looking around. "We have to get out of here."

She looked around for something to help them, catching on the fabric just in time to avoid being flung out as he slid on the ground. Looking over, she finally caught sight of two pieces of wood discarded on the floor near them. Two pieces of wood that should be one staff.

Baby Tooth held her breath as Jack forced the broken ends together, his arms shaking. They slid off each other and he let out a small growl of frustration. ' _You can do it._ '

Placing both ends together again, he took a deep breath and Baby Tooth could feel a strong energy crackle in the air. It was wild and chaotic, and luckily focused. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if it wasn't controlled.

A bright, blue light emitted between the broken ends and she watched as it seeped through the broken grains and knit itself back together.

" _It's working! It's working!_ " Jack glanced up and smiled, channeling more energy to the task at hand.

Seconds later, they were flying out of the cavern into the enthusiastic currents of the Wind. They were obviously worried when they could no longer pick up their little spirit and carry him out of that confined space. With their connection restored, Wind playfully twirled Jack around.

The Winter spirit let out several cheers, encouraging the Wind to carry him faster and it happily obliged.

"Come on, Baby Tooth, I owe you one!"

Still shivering and focusing on channeling some healing magic into her wings, Baby Tooth didn't say anything, though she doubted she could be heard over the noisy currents. She wasn't entirely sure where they were going but that didn't matter.

Jack Frost finally had the answers he needed and they were on their way to stop Pitch and save the children. A Guardian through and through, and nobody would ever convince Baby Tooth otherwise.

* * *

And thus we've reached the end! I know this chapter is one of the shorter ones, but hopefully it satisfied your curiosity.

Thanks again for reading!


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